The present invention relates to a wheel assembly for a model toy train including traction tire.
In the past model toy trains have included traction tires to assist the toy train engines in pulling their respective cars. The traction tires are typically placed on the driven wheels of the model toy train engine. Traction tires prevent the driven wheels from slipping as the model toy train pulls its cars up a slop as is often included in model toy train layouts.
Two styles of traction tires are available in the prior art. As illustrated in FIG. 1 there is shown a prior art toy train wheel assembly 10 including a traction tire 12 directly molded to a die cast wheel 14. Because traction tire 10 did not sit in a channel, strong adhesives were used to bond traction tire 12 to wheel 14. While this design provided increased traction, once the tire 12 wore out the entire assembly 10 had to be disposed of. This was because the material and method used to mold the rubber to the wheel 14 did not allow the traction tire 12 to be removed easily.
The model toy train industry solved the problem of the toy train wheel assembly illustrated in FIG. 1 by replacing the rubber tire 12 of FIG. 1 with the rubber tire 22 as illustrated in FIG. 2. FIG. 2 illustrates a second prior art toy train wheel assembly 20. The rubber tire 22 of FIG. 2 was not molded to a wheel 26 but an undercut recess or channel 24 was provided which accommodated a rubberband-like tire 22. Tire 22 was not bonded to wheel 26, but was held in by the elasticity of tire 22. While the traction tire illustrated in FIG. 2 solved the problem of replacing the tire, it had an undesirous effect that the tire tended to slip off the wheel.
The present invention addresses the problems with the prior art.
The present invention provides a model toy train wheel assembly including a wheel and a traction tire. The wheel includes an undercut recess accessible by at least one sprue and a traction tire over molded into the undercut recess through the at least one sprue.
The present invention also includes a method for manufacturing a wheel assembly for a model toy train including providing a wheel including an undercut recess and at least one sprue; and over molding an elastomeric tire into the undercut recess through the at least one sprue.